Pocket medicine container



May 17, 1966 E. J. I AcouR POCKET MEDICINE CONTAINER Filed June 5,. 1964 I INVENTOR. EDGAR J. LACouR ATTORNEY United States Patent vO l 31,251,459 POCKET MEDICINE CONTAINER Edgar J. Lacour, 5429 Algernon, St. Louis, Mo.

Filed June 5, 1964, Ser. No. 372,783 1 Claim. (Cl. 20G-42) This invention relates in general to receptacles, and, more particularly, to a pocket container for medicaments in tablet, capsule, pill or like pelletized forms.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a pocket medicine container vwhich is adapted for simple manipulation for readily and reliably presenting a single units to satisfy the users requirements for a reasonable period of time.

It is a further object o f the present invention to provide a container of the type stated having a 'marked simplicity of parts, with the same being adapted for positive coaction to assure'consistent operation for delivery of a single tablet or -unit for discharge whereby inadvertent or accidental displacement or loss of the container goods is prevented.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a container of the type stated which may be most cheaply manufactured; which maybe constructed of a variety of materials such as plastic, cardboard, or other relatively rigid material; and which is durable in use.

Other objects and details of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein- FIGURE l is a perspective view of a pocket medicine `container constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention, illustrating same in closed or carrying condition.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the pocket medicine container illustrating same in open condition for withdrawal of a medicinal unit.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical transverse sectional'view taken on the line 5 5 of FIGURE l.

Referring now by reference characters to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the present invention, A generally indicates a pocket medicine container comprising an elongated narrow housing 1 of rectangular cross section having parallel front and back walls, 2, 2', opposed side walls, 3, 3 and a bottom wall 4; said housing 1 being open at its upper end as at 5. Mounted upon front wall 2 adjacent its upper end is a clip 6 vfor engagement with the edge of a pocket of the user for maintaining the container A in position for ease of portability, Received within housing 1 for slideable movement axially thereof is a receptacle or box 7 also of rectangular cross section, having a back wall 8, side walls 9, 9', and upper and lower end walls 10, 10'; said receptacle 7 being open throughout the full extent of its front or forwardly directed portion. Receptacle 7 is thus of complementary configuration to housing 1 for relatively snug, close-fitting disposition therein, but being capable of relative movement with respect thereto.

Receptacle 7 is dimensioned for accommodating medicaments in tablet, capsule, or pill form as indicated at 11, with the same being arranged therein in side-by-side relationship. Thus, with receptacle 7 in carrying or vertical ice disposition, the retained tablets 11 will be' in generally superimposed relation and will thus be urged by gravity against undue movement, thereby reducing mutual ero.

sion-producing contact. v

The extent of travel of receptacle 7 relative to housing 1 for exposing a medicinal unit such as tablet 11 for facile withdrawal or removal may be determined by various expedients. However, for reliability and simplicity, fcooperative, intertting portions are integrally formed on 'housing 1 and receptacle 7. As may best be seen in FIG- URE-S 3 and 4, side walls 3, 3l of housing 1 proximate the upper end thereof are providedl with aligned inwardly extending, rounded projections or male members 12, 12 for latching reception within corresponding depressions or concavities 13, 13 on side walls 9, 9 of receptacle 7. Said depressions 13, 13 are located at a distance from the upper end wall 10 of receptacle 7 slightly greater than that between projections 12, 12 and the upper ends of the related side walls 3, 3', for purposes presently appearing.

It will be recognized thatthe material of construction of housing 1 and/or receptacle 7 has limited inherent resiliency, .such as particularly with plastics, so that disengagement between projections 12, 12' and their associated depressions 13, 13 maybe easily effected by thev application of a longitudinally directed force upon receptacle 7 to cause a slight relative outward urging of projections 12, 12 as the same are forced with the depressions 13, 13'.

Thus, with container A'in closed condition, upon the application of a pulling force upon the upper end of receptacle 7, as by grasping a handle h integrally formed with wall 10 and projecting outwardly therefrom, projections 12, 12' will be brought into registration with depressions 13, 13 after commensurate travel of said recepacle 7. Such engagement is positive and fully capable of retaining the said receptacle 7 and housing 1 in such relative position. Depressionis 13, 13' are accordingly so located with respect to the upper end of receptacle 7 that when said projections 12, 12 are lockingly received therein, the extended portion of receptacle 7 is of such extent as to expose a single medicinal unit 11 which may thereby be withdrawn or removed, as by inverting con-.

tainer A and allowing the said unit 11 to drop outwardly. Thus, by the critical relationship of depressions 13, 13' and projections 12, 12 the presentation of but a single medicinal unit 11 at any one time is assured. Such Vnovel relationship prevents the inadvertent loss of the container contents.

After withdrawal of a medicinal unit 11 the user need merely apply a limited pushing force upon the upper end of wall 10 of receptacle 7 for breaking the engagement between projections 12, 12' and depressions 13, 13 and thereby permit receptacle 7 to be returned to fully closed condition within housing 1.

When it is desired to refill receptacle 7,A the same may be fully withdrawn from 4housing 1 with the sufficient, but limited, force of pull-necessary to prevent engagement between projections 12, 12 and depressions 13, 13. In such withdrawn state, receptacle 7 presents a tray-like character, being fully open throughout .its length, for ready filling. The now supplied receptacle 7 may then be returned lto housing 1 for continued use.

If desired, housing 1 and receptacle 7 maybe constructed of transparent material so that the user may readily determine the quantity of medicinal units within container A without the necessity of effecting movement of receptacle 7.

Thus,.in view of the foregoing, it will be seen that pocket medicine container A presents a compact, lightweight device for supplying a user throughout a reasonable period of time with any indicated medication, which from registration.

container is most durable and reliable in usage, and which is so designed as to prevent the accidental loss of the container contents.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the formation, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the pocket medicine container may be made and substituted for these herein shown and described.without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A medical tablet -container for pocket Carriage, comprising a housing structure having parallel side walls, a front wall, a back Wall, and a bottom wall, said housing structure being open at its upper end, a clip mounted on said front wall of said housing adjacent the upper end thereof for supporting said housing structure in vertical disposition Within the pocket of the user, a container structure comprising upper and lower end Walls, parallel side walls, and a back wall, said container being open at its front portion, said container being dimeusioned for slideable reception Within said housing, said housing and said container being substantially the same length so that the upper end Wall of said container will provide a closure for the normally open upper end of said housing when said container is in fully received state within said housing, a handle member mounted centrally on said upper end wall of said container for extension beyond the adjacent end of said housing when said container is fully disposed therein, at least one rounded, inwardly extending projection providedon the inner surface of each side wall of said housing adjacent the open upper end thereof, each of said side Walls of said container having a depression provided therein, said housing projections being adapted for positive registration within said depressions when said container is moved outwardly of said housing a predeterminned distance for inhibiting further relative movement of said container, said projections and depressions being so located with respect to the adjacent upper ends of said housing and container, respectively, so as to elfect engagement after said container has withdrawn a distance suicient for Withdrawal of a single tablet.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,367,019 1/1945 Haag 206--42 2,377,120 5/ 1945 Apfelbaum 206-42 2,759,598 8/1956 Tregilgas 206-42 2,772,772 12/ 1956 Taylor 206-42 FOREIGN PATENTS 457,854 12/ 1936 Great Britain.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

W. T. DIXSON, Assistant Examiner. 

